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Rejoicing?

Facebook is lit up with the news of Osama Bin Laden's death. The news shows US Americans cheering, singing, and shouting in joy about his death.
I am sickened by our response.

I remember the outcries and the pain that came from watching videos of Al Queda's people cheering with joy at our pain and the loss of US Americans' lives on Sept. 11th. I can't help but think about how our cries mimic theirs. Both filled with hate and anguish, pain and punishment, revenge and terror. Truly we are not so different.

Do we really believe this will be the end of Al Queda? Do we really believe that this will somehow end the hate of the terrorists? Do we really believe that we in the USA are now safer?

Even if his death somehow made us safer, our response that will be broadcast across the globe will not. Won't the world wonder how we can cheer at the death of another human being? Yes, Osama Bin Laden was an evil and horrible man but shall we cheer his death?

Someone I love dearly is somewhere in the Middle East right now. She is there with many other men and women soldiers putting their lives on the line. I'm more worried about her and the rest of them now than I have been for months.

It doesn't take a long view of history, nor a long study of human behavior to know that killing the leader of a movement or gang or terrorist cell does not mean the death of the organization. Often enough it makes the movement, gang, or terrorist cell stronger and angrier, more violent than ever.

I don't know what the solution is. I know enough to realize that if we ever caught Osama Bin Laden he wasn't going to make it out alive. I'm not even sure he should have made it out alive. I'm not sure he didn't "deserve" his death. However, I am sure that rejoicing in another's death, especially as a nation, is dangerous business. I am sure that rejoicing in hate and violence will only stir up and bring more hate and violence upon us.

I do understand how those personally effected by the Al Queda terrorist attacks might feel like rejoicing. Their pain is huge and understandable. Osama Bin Laden is the face that they have blamed for these many years, he was a murderous bastard. I get their anger and their relief that he is finally dead but the dancing in the streets, the cries of joy?

My mind keeps wondering back to the cross. Jesus forgave his enemies while he was at the cross. Those same enemies that nailed his hands into the same cross. He forgave them. 2000 years later, have we learned anything? Have we understood it yet?

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the solution is to ask your government to stop its dirty wars, period. stop acting like it is the the world's policeman. the world will be a better place for the americans and for other countries if your will stop spilling American soldiers' blood on foreign soil in the name of democracy and capitalism.

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